Good morning everyone, and happy holidays.
This will be our last Sunday roundup for the year.
We know this is one of the most read items each week, but we are skeptical (if not hopeful) that the upcoming week will provide enough news to fill out our feature next Sunday.
Again, we thank you all for your support during the last year in many different ways.
We look forward to the new year ahead as we work to continue to grow the news service in what promises to be an exciting legislative session and election season ahead.
Best wishes to every one of you.
Now onto the most significant stories that we published last week along with other news you may have missed but need to know….
- There was Friday’s surprise lawsuit against the Legislature, accusing lawmakers of not sufficiently funding judicial salaries. This has been an issue for several years and was a source of friction between former Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss and Republican leadership in the Legislature. Now, new Chief Justice Marla Luckert will have to deal with the issue.
- There was Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s first appointment to the state Supreme Court. She named Shawnee County District Judge Evelyn Wilson to replace the retired Lee Johnson.
- Republican lawmakers are pushing back against Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration for a new policy that would allow handheld signs in parts of the Capitol. How this dispute is resolved could decide the fate of a federal lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union over Capitol policies it says impede free speech.
- Former Johnson County Elections Commissioner Brian Newby has landed a job overseeing elections in North Dakota. Coincidentally (or not), he was hired by the North Dakota secretary of state who also defended Newby’s work at the Election Assistance Commission.
- The Transportation Department is crafting a new multiyear transportation plan that doesn’t require a tax increase.
- House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. filed for reelection, setting himself up for an unprecedented third term as speaker.
- Republican U.S. Senate candidate David Lindstrom took a sharp tone with Mike Pompeo, saying that Washington establishment is trying to “dupe” him into running for the U.S. Senate in Kansas.
- Lenexa this weekend said goodbye to former state Rep. David Huff, who died on Dec. 12 at 83. The former lawmaker and city councilman was laid to rest Saturday at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa.
- The Kansas Republican Party is bringing in White House counselor Kellyanne Conway for its convention Feb. 1.
Rebuilding Commerce
The state Commerce Department is seeking almost $775,000 this year and next to rebuild its international trade division.
Commerce officials want to use the money to mend a department that once employed 14 staffers in Topeka and had consultants in seven countries. The division now has two people in Topeka and a consultant in Mexico City.
In 2018, Kansas exported about $11.6 billion in products, including $2.1 billion to Mexico, $1.9 billion to Canada, $1 billion to Japan and $657 million to China.
The agency asked for $273,000 in the current fiscal year ending June 30 and another $500,000 in 2021.
The agency is looking to add staff, including consultants who would work in key international markets for the state such as Canada, Mexico and Japan.
The money would support trade missions to those markets as well.
“Exporting of Kansas products and international investment in Kansas depends on long-term relationships with international companies and trading nation partnerships,” the agency said in a narrative explaining the request.
The Commerce Department’s request is among $400 million in supplemental and enhancement requests that are being sought by various state agencies for 2020 and 2021.
They will be screened by the governor, who will decide whether to include them in her recommended budget when it’s unveiled at the start of the 2020 legislative session.
Commerce Secretary David Toland has talked about the need for Kansas having a presence across the country and in key global markets where the state wants to do business.
As part of bringing the international trade division back to life, Toland last week named Jeff Willis to run that arm of the agency.
As the division’s director, Willis will lead efforts to grow the state’s exports and attract more foreign investment to Kansas.
Before joining the department, Willis served as president of Eastern Strategies, a company that specializes in helping manufacturing companies with strategic planning and other aspects of their Asia-related businesses.
Willis is a former commercial officer with the U.S. Commercial Service and held positions at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the U.S. Embassy in Beijing; and the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai.
He left the diplomatic service in 1992 to return to the United States, where he directed the Asian international marketing program for the state of Kansas.
Willis is also a past president of the International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City and past chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce Mid-America District Export Council.
He is a member of the Kansas International Trade Coordinating Council.
Kansas homelessness rises
Kansas saw the biggest percentage increase in homelessness compared to its neighbors this year, according to a new federal report out last week.
Homelessness increased 7.4% in Kansas during 2019, compared to 5% in Missouri and 1.9% in Oklahoma, according to the report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The HUD report showed Kansas with 2,381 people who were homeless in 2019, up from 2,216 last year.
Other neighboring states such as Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado saw decreases in homelessness, the report showed. Iowa was down 15.8%, Colorado 11.4% and Nebraska 2.3%.
The picture for Kansas is better if you look over a longer period of time. Homelessness in the state is down 14.4% since 2014 and 8% since 2015.
HUD reported an overall increase in homelessness of 2.7 percent in 2019 from last year.
The study found that 567,715 people were homeless on a single night in 2019, an increase of 14,885 people since 2018.
Nationally, the biggest percentage increase in homeless was in California, which jumped by 16.4%, or 21,306 people.
The national estimate is based on data reported from about 3,000 cities and counties.
Each year on a single night in January, planning agencies called “Continuums of Care,” seek to identify individuals and families living in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and in unsheltered settings.
The one-night samples, as well as full-year counts and data from other sources, help determine the extent of homelessness nationally.
Mailing privileges boosted
Leading lawmakers last week approved an increase in the amount of money legislators can spend on mailings.
The Legislative Coordinating Council approved an increase in the postage allotment for House members to $1,335 from $1,044 and for senators to $4,005 from $3,136.
But even before the increase, the postage amounts allotted in practice have been a little higher than what was set by policy, officials said.
House members now receive about $1,260 while senators get about $3,250, said Tom Day, director of Legislative Administrative Services.
The change also increases the allowance for committee chairs, who receive an extra $322. They will now get $350 more.
Meanwhile, the LCC also set the amount lawmakers can receive for stationery, business cards and postcards for each calendar year at $750.
Currently, legislators are limited to 1,500 business cards and 1,000 constituent response postcards.
The LCC also set $1,000 as the amount each House member will receive for sending out newsletters during the calendar year. Senators will receive $3,000.
House members now receive $720 for newsletters while senators get $2,160, Day said.
Many legislators, he said, don’t send out newsletters or don’t ask for reimbursement. Others, he said, send them digitally.
Senators file mental health bill
Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland and Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner joined up last week to prefile a bill that’s aimed at reducing suicides.
The bill is intended to ensure that mental health and substance abuse issues are treated the same way as physical health issues as required under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
The federal law bars insurers from imposing more stringent limits on benefits for mental health and substance abuse issues than medical benefits.
The Holland and Baumgardner legislation requires insurance plans to provide coverage when the patient’s health care provider determines it’s medically necessary.
The bill was named after Kristi Bennett, who sought help for depression and suicidal thoughts but was declined by an insurance provider. Here’s more coverage from WIBW.
Osawatomie troubles persist
The Kansas City Star/Wichita Eagle revealed last week that the federal government is threatening to cut off Medicare payments to Osawatomie State Hospital.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found a lack of adequate patient care at Adair Acute Care, which is housed within the hospital.
Federal health care authorities said they will halt payments to the unit starting next March unless the problems are fixed.
The state says it has submitted a plan to address the concerns raised by regulators. State officials told The Star/Eagle they think it is unlikely that funding will be severed.
New nonprofit focused on renewables
Johnson County political consultant Stephanie Sharp is heading up a new nonprofit focused on promoting renewable energy and its associated economic development benefits.
The 501(c)(4) group, formed in October, is called the Kansas Community Coalition.
She said the group is intended as a counter to arguments against renewable energy sources such as wind farms, which have come under increasing criticism in some communities. The group’s efforts also will cover solar and battery power.
Sharp said her work will include recruiting advocates across the state in support of jobs.
A graduate of Southwestern College in Winfield, Sharp served 14 years in Kansas state and local elected offices.
She served in the Kansas House and later as a member of the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees.
She served in the House from 2003 to 2008 and on the community college board from 2009 to 2018.
She launched the communications consulting firm Sharp Connections in 2011.
Clayton petition comes up short
Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Clayton’s effort to get on the ballot for state Senate by petition fell short last week.
Local elections officials invalidated 91 signatures from the 406 she submitted for review. She ended up with 315.
Clayton needed 396 signatures, or 2% of the registered Democrats in Senate District 7 where she is running to replace Barbara Bollier, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Clayton decided to file for office by paying the filing fee instead. State law barred her from supplementing the petition she filed.
The four-term lawmaker said she had gathered 503 signatures, but by mistake she didn’t submit them all at the same time.
State law requires the signatures for a petition to be filed at one time and in one group.
Clayton went on social media and said it was an “honest mistake.”
She praised her campaign workers for knocking on 1,500 doors in 20 days in November and December.
Meanwhile, Clayton’s Democratic rival, Ethan Corson, said he plans to file for the Senate by petition.
“We look forward to being the only campaign in this race to successfully file by petition,” he said.
FEC probing Watkins?
Republican Congressman Steve Watkins legal fees have been widely talked about for months. On Sunday, the Kansas City Star suggests, quoting anonymous sources, that the $25,000 in legal fees are related to a Federal Election Commission investigation.
New poll favors Kobach
There hasn’t been much positive news for former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to celebrate lately.
But last week, a new poll commissioned by the newly formed Free Forever PAC showed Kobach with a fighting chance in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate even if Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins the field. Here’s a little more on the PAC from The Kansas City Star.
The poll by the Trafalgar Group showed Kobach and Pompeo deadlocked at basically 26%, followed by Congressman Roger Marshall with 13% and former Johnson County Commissioner Dave Lindstrom with 4.5%. The undecided were at 30%.
Take Pompeo out of the primary, and Kobach leads the field with 33%, followed by Marshall with about 18%, Lindstrom with 5% and Senate President Susan Wagle with 4%. The undecided in that field was 39%.
The results were very different from a poll done by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That poll found Pompeo crushing the Republican field in the Senate race.
For what it’s worth, Trafalgar didn’t enjoy the best ratings from FiveThirtyEight, which has evaluated pollsters across the country. It received a C- in its scoring.
Tobacco 21 goes national
With vaping becoming an epidemic nationwide, President Donald Trump on Friday signed a spending bill that will bar anyone under 21 from buying tobacco products.
The new age restriction was part of a $1.4 trillion spending bill approved by Congress. Here’s coverage from ABC News, Time Magazine and USA Today.
Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman, who has been out front on the vaping crisis, tweeted out a response to the bill signing Saturday. He suggested that higher taxes on tobacco products are the next steps ahead.
“Strong work by our Federal legislators and President,” tweeted Norman, who testified before Congress on the vaping crisis.
“I’m sure there was immense lobbying by Big Tobacco and the convenience store operators lobbying to overcome,” he tweeted. “Next steps? Heavier taxes on tobacco products and enforce Clean Air laws.”
Meanwhile, new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed last week that a vitamin E acetate — an ingredient in illegal marijuana vapes — contributed to vaping-related lung injuries that killed 54 people and hospitalized 2,500. Here’s more coverage on the CDC’s findings from National Public Radio, Fox News and Time.
The government’s action comes after the Kansas Board of Education voted to encourage school districts to pass tough vaping bans. There’s also been talk that the Kansas Legislature could take up raising the tobacco age to 21 next session.
Sports wagering news
With Kansas lawmakers poised to consider sports betting next year, here’s a story from the Chicago Tribune that examines the addiction that might come along with it, especially with the ability to place bets online.
Meanwhile, Michigan last week became the 20th state to authorize such gambling when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills allowing sports betting and online gaming.
Michigan is the second biggest state in the Midwest to allow sports betting after Illinois.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press offers this national outlook on what’s ahead for sports wagering in 2020. Worth a read if this is your issue.
Boeing news
Lots of buzz last week about the fallout in Kansas from Boeing’s decision to temporarily stop making the 737 Max, which was grounded after a couple of deadly crashes.
The Wichita Eagle reported that the state may have to help pay employees at Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for the plane.
Spirit, the biggest employer in Wichita, announced Friday that it would suspend production of the 737 Max jets starting Jan. 1.
It was immediately uncertain about the effect that would have on the Spirit employees who work on the plane.
Here’s the company’s announcement and associated coverage from the Eagle on Friday.
11th District judicial candidates
The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene in January to pick Judge Jeffry Jack’s replacement.
The 11th Judicial District covers Cherokee, Labette and Crawford counties.
The commission will meet Jan. 10 to interview these candidates to fill the vacancy:
- William S. Adamson, Parsons, private practice lawyer.
- Nathan R. Coleman, Joplin, Missouri, deputy county attorney for Cherokee County.
- Maradeth L. Frederick, Mulberry, private practice lawyer.
- Stephen P. Jones, Altamont, Labette county attorney.
- Valorie R. Leblanc, Fort Scott, Bourbon County district magistrate judge.
- Samuel Marsh, Columbus, Cherokee County district magistrate judge.
- John G. Mazurek, Pittsburg, private practice lawyer.
- Steven A. Stockard, Pittsburg, private practice lawyer.
- Terra Tecchio, Fort Scott, private practice lawyer.
The nominating commission will recommend three to five candidates to Gov. Laura Kelly to pick for the position.
Democratic committee changes
House Democrats did a little committee reshuffling last week with Brandon Whipple leaving the Legislature to become mayor of Wichita.
Whipple’s replacement, Stephanie Yeager, has been assigned to the House Education and Elections committees.
State Reps. Dave Benson and Nancy Lusk will trade committees. Benson goes to the K-12 Budget Committee and Lusk will go to Transportation and Public Safety Budget.
State Reps. Mike Amyx and Rui Xu are now on the Higher Education Budget Committee while state Rep. Brandon Woodard is now the ranking member on the committee.
Kelly appointment
Gov. Laura Kelly reappointed Jerry DeGrado of Wichita to the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.
DeGrado, a chiropractor, was nominated by the Kansas Chiropractic Association. The organization provides names per Kansas statute for the governor to consider.
DeGrado is on the search committee for a new executive director at the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
The last executive director, Kathleen Selzler Lippert, suddenly resigned without any public explanation in October.
